Speaking to pilgrims and tourists in St Peter’s Square for his weekly blessing, Francis made his first comments on the crisis in the Central American country, where in recent months authorities have arrested priests and exiled others. Francis, who did not specifically mention the arrest of Bishop Rolando Alvarez of Matagalpa in the north of the country, said he was watching the situation in Nicaragua “with concern and pain” and asked for prayers for the country. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register “I would like to express my belief and my hope that, through an open and honest dialogue, the foundations can be found for a respectful and peaceful coexistence,” Francis said. Alvarez was removed during a pre-dawn raid in Matagalpa on Friday and placed under house arrest in the capital, Managua. read more Alvarez, a critic of Ortega’s government and one of the most influential figures in the Nicaraguan Church, was imprisoned for two weeks in a church house in Matagalpa along with five priests, a priest and a cameraman for a religious television channel. Police said the priests, the seminarian and the cameraman were taken to a prison in Managua. The United Nations expressed concern over the raid and the Organization of American States condemned it. Relations between the Catholic Church and the government have been severely strained since a harsh crackdown on protests in 2018, when the Church acted as a mediator between the government and protesters. The Church has demanded justice for more than 360 people who died during the riots Nicaraguan bishop Silvio Baez, also a critic of the government, was exiled in 2019. Last March, the Vatican protested Nicaragua’s effective expulsion of its ambassador, saying the unilateral action was unjustified and incomprehensible. Archbishop Waldemar Sommertag, who has been critical of Nicaragua’s move away from democracy, had to leave the country suddenly after the government withdrew its approval of the envoy. Earlier this month, police shut down seven radio stations linked to Alvarez and said they were investigating him for alleged conspiracy. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Additional reporting by Ismael Lopez. Editing by David Clarke, David Evans and Toby Chopra Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
